No Day is Perfect
by mrspencil
Summary: A second chapter tagged on, adding North Star's point of view from "How to Catch a Papa Bear".
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note: contains quite a few spoilers for "How to Catch a Papa Bear"._

* * *

**No Day is Perfect**

* * *

A rendezvous near midnight

With the underground resistance;

They were gathered at a farm house,

Tracing rail yards to knock out.

He'd been "volunteered" last minute,

When the Colonel was restricted

By a late surprise inspection.

Just a routine trip, no doubt.

~0~

_As they waited in the barracks, through the roll call they'd expected,_

_Thoughts kept straying to the exploits of their team mate still outside._

_They had covered for his absence, and they knew he would be careful,_

_But the risks of any mission could not truly be denied._

~0~

He had made brief introductions:

To three men and one smart lady,

As they spread hand-detailed maps

And showed him what the unit knew.

But before they'd finished speaking,

He was stunned as doors burst open;

And he stared in disbelief at armed

Gestapo storming through.

~0~

_In the barracks, most were sleeping, four were wide awake and restless,_

_As the hours ticked by so slowly, leaving midnight far behind._

_He had not returned on schedule and pale dawn was now upon them;_

_There was nothing to restore his close companions' peace of mind._

~0~

He reacted to his capture

With instinctive acquiescence;

He could play the hapless prisoner,

Outraged captive, in his sleep.

Hands held high, his thoughts were racing

Through the steps before disaster;

He had fallen in past exploits,

But not fallen quite so deep.

~0~

_Morning role call at the barracks, and the Corporal was still missing;_

_Their dismay and apprehension proved impossible to mask._

_They could fool with sound recordings and could fake a rising fever,_

_But could not disguise their worry at the outcome of his task._

~0~

As they bundled him at gunpoint,

Into guarded transport waiting,

He maintained an air of innocent

Alarm at his arrest.

It was clear there was betrayal

At the heart of what had happened.

He would play his part while waiting

For his friends to do the rest.

~0~

_He was summoned from the barracks, he regained his blithe composure,_

_And he reinforced the notion that his man was truly ill._

_He deflected extra measures which might compromise positions;_

_One more triumph for the Colonel, simply gained by strength of will._

~0~

Bleak grey walls, door locked and guarded;

Not the best of situations,

But he reassured the lady

That they should not lose all hope.

Hackles rose at interruption,

And at violent separation;

And he knew what must be coming,

And he prayed for strength to cope.

~0~

_It was quiet in the barracks, as they waited; all were conscious_

_Of an unused pack of playing cards; a silent empty space._

_An emergency transmission, once repeated and decoded,_

_Not good news; the mood dropped further as they saw the Colonel's face._

~0~

Knees tucked up, arms wrapped around him;

Woollen coat across his shoulders,

Flimsy blanket draped beneath him,

Head propped awkwardly on wall.

Foul remains of meagre foodstuff,

And a scant supply of water;

Yes, the odds were stacked against him

Getting any rest at all.

~0~

_Consternation in the barracks; they arranged a hurried meeting_

_With a contact, who, remarkably, escaped their comrade's fate._

_And she gave the North Star code words during aimless conversation,_

_And they took her to the Colonel and they hoped they weren't too late._

~0~

From his bench, he heard guards moving,

As his sleepless night was ending,

And he stretched cramped, stiffened muscles;

He'd been still for far too long.

And he thought about that lady,

Her appearance then departure,

And the question of betrayal;

And he hoped that he was wrong.

~0~

_Rising anger as she told them of the ambush at the farm house;_

_Of the three detained, her thankfulness that two broke free, alive._

_Then she sent the Colonel's message; to his team's distress and horror,_

_He would not arrange a rescue...three weren't worth the risk to five._

~0~

Twenty tiles across the ceiling,

Twenty more, he changed direction;

Counting tiles to pass the time,

He'd no idea how long he'd got.

He was under no illusions

As to what would happen later;

But he would not let his friends,

His brothers, down...

No matter what.

~0~

_Faith and hope restored in seconds, as the Colonel's plans were altered,_

_For a vital missing phrase revealed a double crossing scheme._

_There were now two clear objectives; the destruction of their target_

_And retrieval of a fundamental member of the team._

~0~

Idle fingers traced the stitching

Of the overcoat's soft collar,

And the outline of the pick locks

Felt so tempting in his hand.

If he made a bid for freedom

And he failed, he'd fail the Guv'nor...

He would wait, and face whatever

Consequences fate had planned.

~0~

_As they dressed in hand-sewn garments, picked from racks of items ready_

_In the alcove: two Gestapo, set to storm a prison cell,_

_And two figures in dark clothing, set to flit amongst the shadows,_

_Thoughts returned to one deft tailor who had measured up so well._

~0~

He still waited, tired and hungry,

For the summons he was dreading;

For the clipped, unhurried footsteps

Which would halt outside his door.

But instead, a loud commotion

From the corridor confused him,

Till he heard an anxious voice

He'd heard a thousand times before.

~0~

_As they held the girl securely and they strode into headquarters,_

_They progressed through rooms and stairways, in a state of high alert._

_Once they'd rounded up the guards, the Sergeant called his missing buddy;_

_Such intense relief on hearing a response, it almost hurt._

~0~

Friend from foe at last untangled,

Worst case outcome circumvented,

Raw emotions swiftly hidden;

A sarcastic, light reply.

A relaxed, amused demeanour,

When united with the others;

But composure briefly vanished

When he caught the traitor's eye...

~0~

_Two shadows slipped through darkness, setting charges under canvas,_

_Then retreated to a safe and prudent distance from the blast._

_The joy which lit the Sergeant at the subsequent explosion_

_Was nothing to the Frenchman's joy; his friend returned, at last._

~0~

A moment of reflection,

Heading home with friends around him,

Who behaved as though he might

At any moment disappear.

His capture had not ended

With the nightmare scenes envisaged.

As a team they'd worked together;

Beaten odds, confounded fear.

~0~

_Safe and sound, inside the barracks, and their lives returned to normal;_

_Days of boredom, nights of sabotage and travellers' aid between._

_And they dealt with constant danger and they rarely dwelt on failure;_

_And the Corporal never viewed another mission as routine._

~0~


	2. Chapter 2

_a/n: sparked by a suggestion from Signy1 to add North Star's POV in "How to Catch a Papa Bear"_

* * *

**Her day was also far from perfect**

* * *

_A rendezvous near midnight_

_With the underground resistance;_

_Who were gathered at a farm house,_

_Tracing rail yards to knock out._

_He'd been "volunteered" last minute,_

_When the Colonel was restricted_

_By a late surprise inspection._

_Just a routine trip, no doubt..._

~0~

She was waiting at the farmhouse, outward calm belied impatience;

She'd been picturing this chance to show her worth for far too long.

Months of steady infiltration through the layers her foes were wrapped in:

Now the trap was set and ready, she prayed nothing would go wrong.

~0~

_He had made brief introductions:_

_To three men and one smart lady,_

_As they spread unfolded maps_

_And showed him what the unit knew._

_But before they'd finished speaking;_

_He was stunned as doors burst open,_

_And he stared in disbelief at armed_

_Gestapo storming through..._

~0~

She endured his cheerful banter, and she smiled through introductions;

And she studied every feature of her foe, of Papa Bear

And she feigned surprise and horror at the brutal interruption;

Secret meeting not so secret, and the tightening of her snare.

~0~

_He reacted to his capture_

_With instinctive acquiescence;_

_He could play the hapless prisoner,_

_Outraged captive, in his sleep._

_Hands held high, his thoughts were racing_

_Through the steps before disaster;_

_He had fallen in past exploits,_

_But not fallen quite so deep._..

~0~

She was hustled with the others, hands held high, she followed orders;

Her accomplice made a feigned attempt at freedom through the trees.

Shouted warnings from the soldiers, rapid shots which missed completely;

She'd succeeded in the first part of her enterprise with ease.

~0~

_As they bundled him at gunpoint,_

_Into guarded transport waiting,_

_He maintained an air of innocent_

_Alarm at his arrest._

_It was clear there was betrayal_

_At the heart of what had happened._

_He would play his part while waiting_

_For his friends to do the rest..._

~0~

She suppressed her satisfaction at her fellow captive's treatment

Loaded gun held hard against him, as they left the peaceful farm.

She protested at guards' actions, but her protests went unheeded,

As she gave the false impression she was scared he'd come to harm.

~0~

_Bleak grey walls, door locked and guarded;_

_Not the best of situations,_

_But he reassured the lady_

_That they should not lose all hope._

_Hackles rose at interruption,_

_And at violent separation;_

_And he knew what must be coming,_

_And he prayed for strength to cope..._

~0~

She continued in her role as frightened captive, as they grabbed her,

And restrained the English prisoner, left alone inside the cell.

She now knew he did not lead the allied group; brief disappointment...

But at least they held a hostage who could bring him down as well.

~0~

_It was quiet in the barracks_

_As they waited; all were conscious_

_Of an unused pack of playing cards;_

_A silent empty space._

_An emergency transmission,_

_Once repeated and decoded,_

_Not good news; the mood dropped further_

_As they saw the Colonel's face._..

~0~

She tapped out a coded message, on the frequency extracted

From the prisoner, when she'd acted as a damsel in distress.

She described the situation to the anxious listeners waiting;

Hoped to lure them out much further to be certain of success.

~0~

_Consternation in the barracks;_

_They arranged a prompt encounter_

_With a contact, who, remarkably,_

_Escaped their comrade's fate._

_And she gave the North Star code words_

_During aimless conversation,_

_And they took her to the Colonel_

_And they hoped they weren't too late..._

~0~

A strange nocturnal meeting; then an escort to the tunnels.

She had done it! She had tracked her precious target to his lair.

She would get the honours due her, she would get that prized promotion;

She had persevered, and cornered the elusive Papa Bear!

~0~

_Rising anger as she told them_

_Of the ambush at the farm house;_

_Of the three detained, her thankfulness_

_That two broke free, alive._

_Then she sent the Colonel's message;_

_To his team's distress and horror,_

_He would not arrange a rescue;_

_Three weren't worth the risk to five..._

~0~

She'd expected mounting fury and all haste to help their comrade;

And a swift, complete acceptance of her well-judged rescue plan.

She did not expect dismissal, and the others' shocked reaction;

For the Colonel did not seem the type to sacrifice his man

~0~

_Hope and faith restored in minutes,_

_As the Colonel's plans were altered,_

_For a vital missing phrase revealed_

_A double crossing scheme._

_There were now two clear objectives;_

_The destruction of their target_

_And retrieval of a fundamental_

_Member of the team._

~0~

Message sent, and then repeated; plans adjusted and adapted.

Once transmitted, she looked up, to find the atmosphere had changed

Tables turned; a phrase omitted; marked as traitor; held at gunpoint;

And no chance to let her contact know that all was rearranged.

~0~

_As they dressed in hand-sewn garments,_

_Picked from racks of items ready_

_In the alcove: two Gestapo,_

_Set to storm a prison cell,_

_And two figures in dark clothing,_

_Set to hide amongst the shadows,_

_Thoughts returned to one deft tailor_

_Who had measured up so well._

~0~

She took note of every detail, as they moved her through the tunnels;

From stacked papers to the uniforms, on neatly pressed display.

There was rising apprehension at her prospects for survival;

And a calm determination to break free and make them pay.

~0~

_As they held the girl securely_

_And they strode into headquarters,_

_They progressed through rooms and stairways,_

_In a state of high alert._

_Once they'd rounded up the guards,_

_The Sergeant called his missing buddy;_

_Such intense relief on hearing a response,_

_It almost hurt._

~0~

She was hustled through headquarters, not a chance to raise a warning,

Calm and cold and so efficient, as they hurried on apace.

She had failed this vital mission, she had failed her erstwhile colleagues;

And nothing more awaited than defeat and deep disgrace.

~0~

_Friend from foe at last untangled,_

_Worst case outcome circumvented,_

_Raw emotions swiftly hidden;_

_A sarcastic, light reply._

_A relaxed, amused demeanour,_

_When united with the others;_

_But composure briefly vanished_

_When he caught the traitor's eye..._

~0~

Face to wall, with fellow captives, she could hear his English accent,

As the Sergeant opened up the cell, which held his missing friend.

And she heard composure falter as he spied her by the Colonel;

And she held his gaze a moment, and she knew it was the end.

~0~

_A moment of reflection,_

_Heading home with friends around him,_

_Who behaved as though he might_

_At any moment disappear._

_His capture had not ended_

_With the nightmare scenes envisaged._

_As a team they'd worked together;_

_Beaten odds, confounded fear._

~0~

They left her to the mercies of the underground resistance;

To the team she'd infiltrated, to the souls she had betrayed.

She expected retribution for her actions from her captors;

Not a submarine to England, final punishment delayed

~0~

_Safe and sound, inside the barracks,_

_And their lives returned to normal;_

_Days of boredom, nights of sabotage_

_And travellers' aid between._

_And they dealt with constant danger_

_And they rarely dwelt on failure;_

_And the corporal never viewed_

_Another mission as routine._

~0~

Bleak grey walls, doors locked and guarded, days of harsh interrogations;

All regrets, recriminations; far too little, far too late..

She had come so close to winning what so many had attempted;

Her reward for years of sacrifice; a lonely, dismal fate.

_~0~_


End file.
